Trinity International University-Florida Reviews of Master's in Religious Studies

"Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (better known as TEDS) at Trinity International University has a strong and well-earned reputation for being academically rigorous above all else. If attending to complete an M.Div degree (as a large majority of students do), don't expect to complete the degree in three years or less without a significant workload that borders on being excessive. That being said, you will learn a great deal from some of the most well-known academic minds in the Christian world, and the degree certainly looks good when you get it."

"TIU, specifically the seminary side (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is one of the top evangelical seminaries in the nation, and houses many of the greatest scholars in the areas of theology and biblical studies. The professors are down to earth, helpful, and concerned with your education. The connections one interested in Christian ministry will gain are invaluable and plentiful. I think TEDS does a good job of providing balance in terms of providing a place where those interested in academic ministry can pursue that, as well as a place that is suitable for those simply interested in gaining knowledge and skills for church/para-church service, though such people will be stretched to engage their minds more. There are some unique degree offerings such as the MA/Bioethics and an AP MDiv for those with prior coursework in this area, which saves a lot of time and money, and is unique as far as I can tell compared with other seminaries' MDiv degrees. There are plenty of on-campus fairs to get connected with different organizations and denominations, besides networking with students and professors. TEDS also offers unique venues for engaging culture, such as Mosaic Fellowship, a weekly gathering engaging the issue of reconciliation in its manifold manifestations, and is genuinely concerned with taking steps to better the experience of international students and the student body in general. Compared to other graduate schools, tuition is actually quite affordable, and the scholarship options are fair for a seminary, dorms are a decent price compared to the housing in the surrounding area, and the cafeteria food is actually quite good if one chooses to live on campus. Finally, the proximity to downtown Chicago provides many opportunities for engaging different academic and ministerial venues. Concerning areas of weakness or improvement, one of the only things I can think of may be the homogeneity of the student body, which is in actuality a reflection of the community, so this isn't necessarily something that can be controlled that much. There are a good number of international students to encourage diversity in thinking and researching, but this is something that I am sure has been thought upon much and is being encourged in other ways."

"Pros: 1) It is thoroughly academic. Cons: 2) There is not much scholarship available."

"The benefits of studying at Trinity are: the faculty, the academic excellence that is expected from it's students, and also they ability to teach religious studies well."

"Trinity has several great qualities. First, the academic rigor here is incredible. I really feel like I'm getting the best religious education possible. Second, the networking opportunities are great. I know that when I graduate from Trinity I will be able to go anywhere in the world and find fellow graduates. Trinity also has some weaknesses. The heavy focus on academics means that community suffers, and I find it difficult to have meaningful interaction outside of class with professors. The campus feels academic, but not like a community."

"Trinity Evangelical Divinity School offers one of the best evangelical conservative Mdivs in the country, yet also has a broad base of views taught within that context. It is a great place to flesh out your theology and talk it through in an atmosphere of trust and equality. Those going into full-time ministry will find churches and ministries knocking on their doors. The only drawback to TEDS is the price tag for credit hours. Considering its location in an expensive area of Chicagoland and its top notch faculty, I suppose you cannot expect less."

"This program is academically rigorous and the scholarship is substantive. The community is diverse and the discourse is constructive and integrated. The biggest downsides include the amount of in house financial aid and the raised grade scales which make it more difficult for TEDS students to match the GPA desired by some top notch academic institutions."